A Quiet Thunder

It is quiet in the room where I sit and write. The walls of the conference room absorbs much of the silence, save the stream of tappity taps that echoes off my middle fingertips as I make letters appear on the screen, which turn into words, which stretch into sentences, which end up in paragraphs.

The paragraphs sometimes go places.

But it’s just me and the keyboard.

And it’s quiet.

I like it when it’s quiet (why d’ya think I enjoy working in a library?).

When things get really quiet, you can hear yourself breathing; sometimes even the beating of your heart. When we’re THAT quiet, when we’ve pushed out all the distractions, we’re just left with ourselves and God.

Sometimes that’s a scary place to be.

I remember instances in my college years where I would spend days or even weeks not reading the Bible on my own. I felt sure that if I opened the scriptures, God would convict me of doing something wrong, or (even worse) God would tell me to do something I didn’t want to do. Claiming ignorance may not hold up in a court of law, but for the time being, it sure seemed the right way to go.

What a miserable existence.

It took many years for me to get to the understanding that God wasn’t out to get me; He simply wanted to live life with me. And as Creator of everything, He assured me that He had a better understanding of what was right and wrong than I could ever grasp. Some of my times alone with God became amazing adventures of discovery.

Discoveries about myself. Discoveries about life. Discoveries about God and His Nature.

It has been said that the writers of the Bible weren’t interested in proving whether or not God existed. They were fascinated with the idea of WHO God was, of WHAT God was like.

Those questions only begin to get answered when we practice the disciplines.

Getting away from the everyday and spending time with our Creator. Reading the Bible. Talking to God … and listening.

Always listening.

You see, contrary to common belief, you don’t have to head to Tibet, a secluded beach, or (insert your ideal spot for reflection here) to experience the silence where God can speak to you loud and clear.

This silence only appears in the heart of someone who REALLY needs to connect. Someone who is willing to turn off the baseball game, put down the wii, unplug the headphones, and listen…

1 Kings 17:1-7
Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Then the LORD said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

So Elijah did as the LORD told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

1 Kings 18:1
Later on, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!”

1 Kings 18:41-46
Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’ ”

And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

Psalm 55:1-7
Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down. My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. (NLT)